{"id":291,"date":"2020-06-04T17:49:53","date_gmt":"2020-06-04T17:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/addictedtobees.com\/?p=291"},"modified":"2020-06-04T17:49:53","modified_gmt":"2020-06-04T17:49:53","slug":"june","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/addictedtobees.com\/?p=291","title":{"rendered":"Honeybee Swarms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In bee world, the honeybee is just one species of the 276 or so different bee species in the UK. Mostly they are domesticated creatures, kept in hives by beekeepers, but wild colonies do exist. In recent years there has been a huge rise in people starting to keep honeybees, sometimes in a misguided attempt to save the bees. A density of honeybees where there are wild bee species on a precipice, can put undue stress on the wild populations and competition for vital food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping honeybees won’t save the bees<\/a> – it is like keeping chickens to save the birds. Not sure who first said that, but it is a very apt and relevant school of thought. There is nothing wrong in keeping honeybees, just be conscious of your reasons and your actions and be aware of any potential impact on the local environment too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bee swarms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Honeybee swarms start to appear in gardens and the countryside anytime from April, but are most common in May or June. A swarm of bees is a miraculous wonder of nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardeners are in a great position to really help not\njust bees but all precious pollinators. By sowing and growing organic and\npesticide free plants, they can provide a source of safe, essential pollen and\nnectar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in late spring and early summer the role of the gardener is even more vital. It\u2019s swarm season and swarms are the very best chance for honeybees to reproduce naturally. Keep your eyes open – dark, shimmering clusters on trees, bushes and posts and call a beekeeper fast. With few hollow trees and suitable habitats, only around 25% of these will survive in the wild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miraculous wonder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The word swarm has long been associated with negative undertones\nand bad implications. The swarm smear campaign is possibly one of the most\nsuccessful and widely accepted slanderous campaigns in history. I cannot fathom\nwhy the majority sees a bee swarm as a threat; it\u2019s a miraculous wonder of\nnature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bees are without doubt one of nature\u2019s most\ninspirational creatures. Yes, they can sting, just once, when under threat, but\nthey generally are not aggressive. Unless you are severely allergic, then embrace\nyour fears and learn to observe and admire and you will build an unbelievable,\nadmiring bond with these sentient creatures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natural division<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A bee swarm is the natural division of a healthy honey\ncolony. In April and May about half the bees and the old queen leave the mother\nhive to find a new home, leaving the existing hive to the new virgin queen\nhatching inside. This is how bees reproduce, dividing a strong, thriving colony\ninto two. To understand it better we need to stop looking at honeybees as\nindividual insects and consider the whole colony as a single living, thriving\nentity. A bee swarm is really positive. It\u2019s a magical birth of a new colony\nand charged with such positive, uplifting energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Positive energy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The sound of the swarm leaving the mother hive is\nphenomenal, like a helicopter cutting the air, as thousands of bees follow the\nold queen from the hive and prepare to cluster near by. Stand among the swarm\nas the bees fill the air with the glorious sound of bees. There is nothing\nquite like it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once clustered the bees are pretty harmless. Look\ndon\u2019t touch. Their bellies are filled with honey to sustain their adventure and\nthis makes them physically less able to sting. In the very centre of the\ncluster is the Queen, protected by a glistening, shimmering layer of worker\nbees, while the scout bees search out suitable new premises; ideally a warm,\ndry hollow tree cavity or an unoccupied hive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A cluster can hang for a few hours or a few days. These precious creatures face such monumental challenges that every swarm needs a rescue package. Now is the time to call for a beekeeper, preferably one that nurtures the natural behaviour of bees. Natural beekeepers don\u2019t  suppress swarms and allow the bees to reproduce and follow their basic instincts. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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